Nutrition: Animal History

Essay Instructions:

What you're doing: You are performing a nutritional evaluation of a hypothetical client. Why you're doing it: If done properly, nutritional evaluations can be a cornerstone for the health of our pets. Foundational to completing a nutritional evaluation is understanding the history of the animal, as well as other physiological and environmental factors that may make the animal prone to certain conditions or diseases in the future. The components of a nutritional history include animal-specific factors, diet and feeding management specific factors, and environmental/household and human specific factors. To get the most comprehensive animal history we need to leverage good communication practices with people caring for the animal – active listening, open-ended questioning followed by more directed questioning, and consideration for the caretaker's perceptions and beliefs. Instructions: Part 1 In an actual nutritional evaluation with a client, you would want to undertake a candid conversation to gather information on the animal’s history, their diet, and the environment/household they live in. Refer back to the AAHA guidelines, Download AAHA guidelines,as well as your nutritional history. The evaluation should include animal information (e.g., species, breed, gender, age, reproductive status, activity level, diseases or conditions, etc.) and a description of diet and feeding (what, how much, when, treats/snacks, etc.) Provide the following : This information will inform future assignments, including Week 4 - Assignment 1 - Deliverable - Course Project - Life stage Nutrition. Pictures of your client’s pet (found here). Pet food bag (front, back and sides of their pet food bag) include all nutritional information and list of ingredients. Snacks, if available, with nutritional information Provide the following: Detailed information on the animal’s environment and how they interact with it (e.g., people--current bonds, developing bonds; other pets; indoor/outdoor, and so forth) Outlined goals for the animal/household (i.e., What do the pet owner and/or other household members hope to gain from the nutritional evaluation? Do they have any nutrition related interests or concerns?) Clearly and comprehensively summarize your findings. The findings can be in paragraph form, bulleted, or a mixture of the two. This assignment should be 1-2 pages 500-700 words in length. Include figures/tables and photos created that clearly organize and help support your findings. Reference any source including your data and graphics. Use APA citationsLinks to an external site. for all references. Part 2 Elaborate on three aspects of the information you have gathered (e.g. breed specific issues, determining healthy body condition, feeding schedules, home environment etc.), that could be a potential red flag regarding the animal’s health and wellbeing. As you focus on your own client’s case, use current literature to research more about these topics listed. Use multiple sources, with at least one being a credible scientific primary source to support your claims. Part 2 should be approximately 500-700 words.

Essay Sample Content Preview:

Nutrition: Animal History Student’s Name Institution Course Name and Number Lecturer’s Name Due Date Nutrition: Animal History Nutrition is an integral part of excellent pet care. It involves putting a pet on a proper diet with all or most of the required nutritional aspects. Good nutrition results in good pet health. The nutritional requirement varies with dog health and breed among other elements. Feeding a dog is not merely a routine task; it is an expression of responsibility and care. This task requires commitment and love for pets. Pet owners and lovers tend to give their pets quality treatment the same they do to their children. Through a balanced diet, pet owners can ensure the health, well-being, and longevity of their pets. This essay aims to evaluate a client's information about a pet and her feeding. The aim is to determine the effectiveness of the efforts made by the pet owner to care for her pet and recommend options for improving the pet’s care. Part 1 Brookie is an eleven-month-old female dog kept by Hannah as her pet. According to a doggy DNA test, Brookie is a mixed breed of lab, Coon Hound, German Shepherd, and a lot of unknown dog breeds. The dog weighs 40 pounds, an average weight of a female healthy dog of a Hound breed. The client, Hannah, reveals that the dog has undergone spraying: - a surgical procedure used to prevent pets from reproducing. It entails removing the ovaries of the animal. Socially, Brookie is a social dog who enjoys playing with other dogs. She loves other dogs and also loves people. However, she prioritizes dogs over people. For instance, if there is a new person and a new dog, Brookie would go straight to playing with the dog. Her physical examination shows that she is hyperactive and has high energy. As a result, the owner often takes her out for adventures, a lot of walks, and decent size hikes, which she seems to love. It means that Hannah spends a lot of time outdoors with Brookie although she lives indoors with the dog. Environmentally, the dog is exposed to a calm atmosphere and cooler temperatures being that Hannah lives in a cabin on the lake. So, the dog has lake access in the warmer months. Figure 1: Brookie According to Brookie's vet, the dog is healthy and presents no concerns. However, the owner is unsure of her pet's ideal body condition and feels that her dog is not healthy because she looks quite slim. Hannah feels that she has put more effort into feeding the dog and she should look healthier, especially with her breed. Brookie feeds on the maximum range of dog foods and receives plenty of treats. She feeds on the Petco brand of Wholehearted Chicken and Rice Dry Puppy Food for all breeds. Because the dog appears slim, the owner has put Brookie on a feeding schedule to ensure she gets enough food at the daycare and home. Regarding supplements, the owner mentions that she does not give her pets any supplements. Other than feeding, the owner trains the dog to walk as a way of preparing Brookie to be an adult dog. For instance, Hannah gives Brookie chewing rings and bones to help her with chewing. The owner also gives her dog turkey or chicken for high-value treats specifically for training her to walk on the leash because the pet struggles with the leash. Figure 2: Pet Food Bag Based on the information provided about Brookie, it is clear that the owner cares deeply about the dog's well-being and wants to make informed decisions about Brookie’s nutrition. Despite the dog being slim, she weighs 40 pounds, which is below the average body weight of a mixed-breed dog. Female mixed-breed dogs aged 11-12 months should weigh about 50-70 pounds (Cline, et al., 2022). Brookie weighs 40 pounds, which is below the recommended weight. Therefore, from an individual perspective, the dog does not have an ideal body weight. However, there is nothing to worry about because body weight is not the sole determinant of a healthy dog. A dog can be underweight but healthy. Some dogs naturally have a lean build. With a good diet, regular exercise, normal energy levels, and ...

Updated on April 11, 2024

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